Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleaning fabric surface such a carpets and upholstery. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for dry extraction of dirt and dust particles from a fabric surface. In another of it aspects, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for deep cleaning of fabrics without liquid cleaning compositions. In yet another of its aspects, the invention relates to fabric cleaning with a ferromagnetic medium. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to ferromagnetic particles for use in dry cleaning of fabrics.
Description of the Related Art
Floor cleaners to remove unwanted ferrous materials from the surface to be cleaned are known. Known ferrous material cleaners can comprise one or more magnets disposed within a roller or rotating drum to pick up ferrous materials on the drum surface that are attracted to the one or more magnets by magnetic force. Such an apparatus can comprise a handle for pushing the magnetic cleaner attached to a foot assembly with one or more wheels or rollers for translating the magnetic cleaner over the surface to be cleaned. The foot assembly can contain the magnetic rotating drum for attracting magnetic materials, such as nails, screws, clips, metal filings, etc. and a compartment for collecting the materials that are attracted to the magnetic rotating drum. The magnets contained within the drum can be permanent magnets or electromagnets and a separator is provided for separating the materials from the surface of the drum so that the materials can be collected within the compartment.
Ferrous material cleaners are suitable for removing unwanted ferromagnetic materials from particles containing nickel, cobalt, chromium, iron, or alloys, composites, and intermetallics thereof from the surface to be cleaned.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,402,212 and 4,087,879, United Kingdom Patent No. GB702905 and Japanese Patent No. 09103395 disclose examples of apparatus suitable for picking up unwanted ferrous material from a surface to be cleaned and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,773 discloses a method for controlling and removing dust and other fine particles in a material, such as a carpet or fine fabric material, comprising i) electrostatically charging carrier particles (for example by tribo-electric charging, induction charging or corona charging) in powder form to give the carrier particles a minimum charge to mass ratio of +/−1.times.10.sup.−4 C/kg, ii) delivering the electrostatically charged carrier particles to the material, whereby the dust and other fine particles in the material agglomerate with the charged carrier particles and iii) removing the resultant agglomerates from the material.